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Rayel was too lost in her own thoughts to notice Meri's mental discussions. The steady beat of Cheiron's step was extremely soothing, and she had to snap herself out of her memories several times. Something about Pyro disturbed her, more than the paladin was willing to admit out loud.

It was unfair to inflict her prejudices on the sorcerer, yet Rayel couldn't help but remember the thieves she had known, the thief she had been. Being around her made the knight very uncomfortable, a visible reminder of her past transgressions.

The paladin sighed and shook her head, as if trying to shake out her horrible thoughts. If she could travel with a dragon she should have no problem with a thief.

Thankfully her mind was soon otherwise occupied. A giant tower rose over the horizon, the size of which made Rayel gape in awe. Her grip on the reins tightened and she glanced over at Meri, walking unnaturally fast, hoping he knew what he was doing.

The knight sighed inwardly, cursing her lack of subtlety. Had she really become so easy to read? Even with her helmet on anyone could tell what she was thinking. But perhaps it was only because he was part dragon. Making sure her helm was firmly set, Rayel followed the woman. Despite Meri's remarks she made sure her hand was near her sword.

Her mind turned to his comments, turning his words over as she tried to discern a deeper meaning. Many of the things she had seen today made little sense; she didn't know why she felt such great unease. What backups could he have, that would restrain a dragon? Perhaps the strange Yunto he had mentioned in battle? But who, or what, was the strange Yunto he had cried out to? And why did he trust these people so implicitly?

Patting her horse's soft nose, Rayel murmured a goodbye to Cheiron, then followed the woman. She kept her eyes on the woman ahead of them, watching for any sudden movements.

The priestess turned to the theif. "Well, this year is what's aptly called a 'year of the rogue dragons', where dragons of every type band up and go on destructive rampages, killing everything they can. Since this affects Meri the most, we have decided to share what we have found with him and any companions. Since you are here with him, that means he must trust you a little."

"Or no' at all," Meri commented. "She be a theif n' a good one too."

The priestess smiled faintly. "One of your kind keeps strange company Merithion-athranus," she said, pronouncing his name clearly and perfectly. "Since when did a dragon need to keep the company of mortals?"

"Since the year started," Meri shot back with a low growl. The cleric shut her mouth and led them inside, where worktables were spread out, items and paper everywhere. The little, nervous mage walked up to them.

"My name is Garthran. Sorry for not saying earlier." He shifted through a few sheets of paper in his hands. "Anyway, what we called you here for Meri, is to show you what we found." He handed Meri a sheet of paper. The bard just stared at it blankly.

"Day 42. Progress. I found references to the magic at the mounatain of the beautiful dawn."

The assembled wizards gasps, stared and generally looked at Meri with disbelief. Hurn, the winged warrior smirked, as if he knew something more than the others. The cleric and the small man looked at Meri with hope in their eyes.

"You can read that straight off, with no magic?" Garthran asked.

Meri frowned. "Yes, can't you?"

The cleric shook her head. "No. We have had to decrypt it." She paused. "How can you read it?"

"It is an ancient form of Draconic, written in a code. My eyes recognise the symbols and my brain worked out what it ment."

"Hence the draconic," said Hurn as he walked forward. "Some of the symbols we recognised as draconic, but nothing made sense, untill Sura here worked out that it was in code." He indicated the cleric, who smiled at the praise.

"Anyway," Sura said, "we've only managed to get three locations so far. The Mountain monastary of the Beautiful Dawn, the Black Castle and the Dragon Tombs. We would like you, and your companions, to go there and bring back whatever you find." She gestured towards another cleric in similar robes, who brought over a scroll, a small shield, a rune-carved dagger, a greatsword and a jeweled sheath.

"These are gifts for you on your trips. A map," Sura said as she handed the scroll to Meri, "showing where you need to go." She offered the small, 6" shield and dagger to Pyro. "A shield to protect you from arrows and a dagger that will always strike true." The greatsword, also rune-carved, was offered to the knight. "A greatsword that is light enough for one hand." The sheath was given to Meri. "A scabbard fit for a magical weapon such as Yunto. This will make its edge keener, so you need not cast a spell on it."

Meri bowed to the cleric as he unsheathed Yunto and placed it into the new sheath.

"Before ye agrue about the gifts, take them. Ye will no' be able te leave withou' them, fer a cleric of Junthia will no' let ye leave withou' acceptin' her gifts."

Sura smiled as Meri guessed the name of her deity with unering acuracy. "That's true, for my god is a giving god, and for a gift from her to be rejected is an insult."

((edit))

Pyro strolled lazily along behind, rolling her eyes when referred to as the theif. She half listened to what was going on but was mostly checking out the furnishings of the place.
When she received her dagger and shield, Pyro decided to put back the small valuables that she had stuffed up her sleeves on the way there. It would seem that these were people she could get along with afterall.

((yeah, I was wondering who Tara was...))

((um, it's been editted...*waiting for someone to post...*))

Feeling slightly more at ease now that Meri was speaking of leaving, Rayel almost grinned at the mention of a monastery. This was the kind of mission she could handle. The name Beautiful Dawn sounded vaguely familar, but the knight couldn't think of what they worshipped. Lathander seemed the best candidate, but it was always best to keep one's mouth closed when in doubt.

Whomever they worshipped, Rayel was sure that with a name like Beautiful Dawn the priests would be friendly. Unless they were like the Glorious Day cult, who infamously slaughtered six hundred children in a bloody ritual.

Shaking her head Rayel cursed her paranoia, not for the first time that day. Perhaps she should have become a Vigilante. There suspicion was rewarded and encouraged. Besides, Meri had said the priests were friendly, and he knew a lot more than she did.

"Good," Rayel said quietly, her words careful and deliberate. "Will you be coming with us?" she asked as courteously as she could manage, looking to the priests and wizards. Something about their tone told her they were not coming, but the knight hoped to discover the reason. If they were so concerned about the magic, and if they truly were Meri's friends, why weren't they coming?

((Suppose you can. Zerlinda, a female name, means Beautiful Dawn. In my game she is a giving goddess similar to the sun gods, but she is know for the early morning sunlight and the false dawn.))

"No," Sura replied. "We cannot leave our work and we have already had trouble here. We cannot spare the knowledge that each of us has."

Meri nodded. "We'll be headin' out soon. The two of ye will need some food fer ye horses-"

"Meri," Sura said, handing him a couple of feed bags.

The bard smiled and bowed to the priestess. "Thank ye."

She shook her head and indicated that the trio should leave. Meri bowed and ushered his companions out.

"Shall we travel through the night or sleep in a comfy bed?" he asked, a smile in his voice.

"Well I'm tired." Pyro yawned loudly. She knew this would rub Rayel wrong and it was half the reason that the obnoxious sorceress did it. The other half of this was that she was actually a bit tired. "We should sleep."